San Juan Mine

San Juan coal mine is located 25 kilometers west of Farmington, New Mexico and is operated by San Juan Coal Company, a subsidiary of New Mexico Coal, which in turn is wholly owned by BHP Billiton. The mine produces close to 7 million short tons of coal annually. It was created to replace the San Juan and La Plata surface mines. It supplies the San Juan Generating Station in New Mexico.

BHP Billiton states that the mine, which employs 576 people, "consists of an underground mine accessed via the high wall of the now closed open cut mine ... The underground mine is a single longwall operation. Reclamation of the closed surface mines will continue for three years."

Water Contamination
In December 2009, the Sierra Club issued notice of their intent to sue San Juan Coal Company for contaminating the groundwater near the San Juan mine. The Sierra Club alleges that more than 40 million tons of coal ash and sludge have been illegally dumped into unlined pits, resulting in contamination of nearby waterways and wells.

Mine Data

 * Owner: San Juan Coal Company
 * Parent company: BHP Billiton
 * Location: 25 km west of Farmington, New Mexico
 * GPS coordinates: 36.801262 N, 108.431025 W
 * Annual Production: 6,898,040 short tons
 * Type of coal:
 * Mine type: underground
 * Equipment:
 * Number of employees: 576

Related SourceWatch articles
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 * BHP Billiton's coal interests
 * Coal and jobs in the United States
 * Coal phase-out
 * Headquarters of U.S. coal mining companies
 * Global list of coal mining companies and agencies
 * New Mexico and coal
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